Dressings or bandages utilizing a water-absorbent adhesive are well known in the industry. One example of the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,546 as issued to Chen on Sep. 5, 1967.
The shaping of an adhesive layer is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,748 issued to Samuelsen on Sep. 19, 1989. The Samuelsen patent attempts to solve the problem of adhesive flow by beveling the peripheral edge of the dressing to 1/4 (one-quarter) of the thickness of the pad portion of the dressing.
The above-cited prior art does not fully address the problem of applying a dressing or bandage to a contoured or curved portion of a patient's body and subsequently keeping the dressing in place. One disadvantage of placing the prior art dressings on the contoured portions of a patient's body is a wrinkling of the dressing due to the thickness of the adhesive layer and the movement of the user's skin. This wrinkling effect creates a channel-like passageway in the peripheral surface of the dressing. This channel-like passageway will allow contaminants into the wound or may allow fluids from the wound and/or adhesive to exit the border of the dressing.
In view of all of the patented and otherwise known wound dressings or bandages, there exists a need for a disposable dressing which is economical to manufacture, controls the flow of the dressing adhesive while virtually eliminating the wrinkling effect of and at the dressing's sealing surface. There is also a need to provide a dressing which will remain in place on the body for extended periods. The desired bandage should also resist the effects of bathing or showering which may induce the undesirable and premature removal of the dressing.